Napoli suffer double injury blow: Lobotka, Politano miss internationals | OneFootball

Bad news for Antonio Conte and Napoli. The victory against Genoa at the “Maradona” was accompanied by two injuries that risk complicating the plans of the Azzurri coach: Stanislav Lobotka and Matteo Politano both had to leave the field early due to muscle problems.

Napoli, double injury for Lobotka and Politano: muscle strain and withdrawal from the National Team

Napoli-Genoa, Conte comments on the victory: “The substitutions made the difference”

Lobotka stops in the first half: groin pain

The first warning sign came at the 44th minute of the first half, when Lobotka asked to be substituted after feeling a sharp pain in the groin area following a slip.Conte immediately brought on Gilmour in his place, but concern remains high: the Slovak midfielder, a pillar of the Azzurri midfield, will undergo medical tests in the coming hours to assess the extent of the problem.

The coach commented at the end of the match:“Lobotka felt discomfort in the groin area, and preferred to stop immediately to avoid more serious issues.”

Muscle problem also for Politano: misses the National Team

There was barely time to breathe a sigh of relief when, in the 50th minute of the second half, Matteo Politano also asked to be substituted due to muscle pain in his right thigh.He was replaced by Kevin De Bruyne, who then contributed to the Azzurri’s comeback.

Conte explained after the match:“Matteo felt fatigue in his hamstring, a situation we will assess carefully in the coming days.”

The attacking winger, one of the most used since the start of the season, will not be able to answer the call-up from coach Gennaro Gattuso for Italy’s double fixture against Estonia and Israel.In his place, his Napoli teammate and friend Leonardo Spinazzola has been called up, returning to the Azzurri squad after several months of absence.

Conte’s next moves

While awaiting the results of the medical tests, Napoli’s medical staff will have to manage both cases with caution.In the meantime, Conte is already thinking about solutions for the resumption of the league: Gilmour could take Lobotka’s place in front of the defense, while in attack Neres and De Bruyne will be called upon to increase offensive production on the wings.

The goal is to avoid relapses and get the two starters back for the next cycle of matches, which will see Napoli engaged in both Serie A and the Champions League.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.